Blog

What Changes To Estate Planning Laws Could Come This Year In Texas? In this 85th regular session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers are weighing a wide variety of proposed law changes. Three pending bills could impact estate planning and elder law in Texas. Anyone who has been putting off creating an estate plan or may soon be named as an…Read More

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Round Rock is getting a new museum. The Williamson Museum is opening a living history branch in a couple of historic buildings at 8 Chisholm Trail Road near Brushy Creek sometime in the next couple months. The museum will feature volunteers dressed in costume, portraying life as it was…Read More

Special Needs Trusts are fantastic tools that allow the lives of special people to be enriched without putting their government benefits at risk. If you have a loved one that will likely rely on Supplementary Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid to meet his or her basic needs for the rest of his or her life, setting up a Special Needs Trust to…Read More

Can I File A Claim For Tortious Interference With Inheritance Rights If Someone Has Reduced Or Eliminated My Inheritance? Inheritances can be wrought with controversy. Disputed wills, trusts, or other estate plans may lead to family members losing part or all of their inheritance. When a person believes that a family member or some other third party has wrongfully caused their…Read More

How bad do you think a probate case has to get before the judge says, “I beg you to recuse me. I don't want to deal with you people anymore.”? The answer is pretty bad. Texas Probate Judge Mike Wood has been presiding over the lawsuit filed when Anna Nicole Smith’s husband, J. Howard Marshall II died in 1995 for…Read More

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are 1.6 million veterans living in Texas. Yet only a fraction of these vets are getting all of the benefits they deserve. Many veterans simply do not realize that they and their family members are eligible for benefits because there is a persistent rumor that only people who are seriously injured…Read More

Sam Houston is one our state’s most beloved patriarchs. As the inscription on his tomb suggests, he was: A Brave Soldier. A Fearless Statesman. A Great Orator—A Pure Patriot. A Faithful Friend, A Loyal Citizen. A Devoted Husband and Father. A Consistent Christian—An Honest Man. Because of his notoriety, his will, which was written in 1863, has been preserved. A…Read More

At least once a week, and oftentimes more frequently, I get a call on my cell phone from someone claiming I have won a cruise. While sailing to the Bahamas sounds appealing this time of year, I know this call is from a scam artist trying to get me to buy something or steal my credit card information, so I…Read More

Exciting things are happening in Round Rock. Baseball great Nolan Ryan is moving the headquarters of his foundation here, which is going to be a great boon for our community, and a wonderful example of the good work that can be done through a family foundation. Moving To Round Rock Last month Nolan Ryan and his son Reece Ryan unveiled…Read More

What Are Some Of The Tax Benefits Of Holiday Giving? Giving especially generous monetary gifts over the holidays can be helpful to the giver as well as the receiver, particularly when it comes to taxes. By giving large monetary gifts, the giver may avoid paying taxes on a block of stock or reduce a future high estate tax bill. Possible Hazards…Read More